Bettugi's Recommendations

STATUS UPDATE

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 22:51:54 GMT

Now that free account creation is turned on at Journalfen, I'm going to close this mirror. It's just too annoying to try to keep track of which recs I can post on LiveJournal and which I can't.

All recs are available at:
http://www.journalfen.net/users/hornytoad

If you want to watch on your LiveJournal friends list, you can create a syn account (or get a friend with a paid account to create a syn account) that points to:
http://www.journalfen.net/users/hornytoad/data/rss

(You do this through LiveJournal's syn page: http://www.livejournal.com/syn)

YUBISAKI NO KOI (FINGERTIP'S LOVE)

Thu, 22 May 2008 14:10:05 GMT

Mangaka: Naono Bohra
Genre: Yaoi, supernatural
Length: 5 chapters + extra (complete)
Scanlated by: Nakama

I'm a fan of Naono Bohra's work, and not just because she's the one that made it possible for me to tell my friends, "If you don't do what I want, I'm going to send you the gay zombie porn."

For one thing, she's stuck to her own paradigm--her own kink, which is younger seme and older uke. And by "older" I mean that these guys have wrinkles, omg. It's very much a formula, but it's a different formula, and that's refreshing.

This series is about a private detective who has the psychic ability to sense another's emotions with just a touch. The rhetorical, you-already-know-the-answer question of the day is: will he be able to get over his phobia of touching another person in order to have porn with his sexy younger assistant?

Oh, and there are cases and kidnapping and stuff.

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This title can be downloaded through Nakama's yahoogroup.

BENKYOU SHINASAI (STUDY HARD)

Sun, 11 May 2008 03:14:36 GMT

Mangaka: Takanaga Hinako
Genre: Yaoi, comedy
Length: 4 chapters (ongoing)
Scanlated by: Hochuuami

Kouta wanted to attend the same university as Akira but he was the only who passed. This year, will he be able to make Akira pass the exam? (Manganews.net)

Takanaga Hinako is one of my favorites. Most of her work is lighthearted, with endearing characters. Her artwork is great, too -- she has a lot of talent for drawing comics. I don't just mean the way she draws faces or backgrounds, but her page layouts and pacing as well. It's energetic without being chaotic.

"Study Hard" is very softcore. It's damn cute, though. Akira is vain, spoiled, and oblivious, but he's so happy at the same time. Kouta's crush is completely understandable, even though Akira takes shameless advantage of him.

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This is available through the downloads section on Hochuuami's website.

PARAPHRASE

Sat, 10 May 2008 23:13:32 GMT

Mangaka: Takakura Row
Genre: Yaoi, comedy
Length: 6 chapters (complete)
Scanlated by: Obsession

Paraphrase is a collection of unrelated oneshots. I'm recommending it specifically for the fourth chapter, "Koi Suru Ishidenshen" -- also called "Sympathetic Pins." It was one of the first yaoi manga that I read and is still one of my favorites because it's so wrong.

Chris Kidman is an American swimmer competing in Japan. After he sprains a muscle in his groin, he visits a local acupuncturist for help -- a perverted, predatory acupuncturist who is blown away by Chris's magnificent, ahem, physique.

More than one group has scanlated "Koi Suru Ishidenshin," but the copy I have was done by Obsession. It does have some of Obsession's typical translation weirdnesses, like calling the American "Christ" instead of "Chris."

You might as well downoad the other oneshots, as well. They don't stand out the same way that "Koi Suru Ishidenshin" does, but Takakura Row can draw some hot porn. This is probably why she ends up getting licensed so often.

Warning: the sixth chapter contains strong non-con, and the rest have a lot of the "oh, I don't really want it but YES I DO" sort.

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You can download this title through Obsession's forums.

OMOI SUGOSHI MO KOI NO OCHI

Thu, 08 May 2008 05:30:59 GMT

Mangaka: Yamada Sakurako
Genre: Yaoi
Length: 1 chapter (ongoing)
Scanlated by: Dangerous Pleasure

This is a cute story by a mangaka whose work I don't remember reading before. I've read so much mediocre yaoi manga lately--stuff that just didn't grab me in any particular way even if I couldn't point to a particular problem with it, so this was a pleasant surprise.

"Whee!" I said. "A story with decent art and a fun storyline! And the characters have a reasonable amount of forehead!"

After breaking up with his boyfriend, Hino heads to his favorite gay bar. He tries to pick up Kishida, but it turns out that Kishida is only there because his nephew is gay and he's worried about what that means. Obvs., Kishida has never heard of Google and needs an Actual Gay Man(tm) for help.

This is apparently the first chapter of a series, but I think it can stand alone. I thought it was a oneshot until I reread it. I'm looking forward to see if this story will continue, or if it's the first part of a series of oneshots or something like that.

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Omoi Sugoshi mo Koi no Ochi can be downloaded from Dangerous Pleasure's website.

KANGA NE SPOON (ELEGANT SPOON)

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:56:39 GMT

Mangaka: Ike Reibun
Genre: Yaoi
Length: 6 chapters + oneshot (complete)
Scanlated by: Nakama

I think I may need a "hairdressers and stylists" tag soon.

Yoshiaki is a successful businessman with an unconventional lover: Kasumi, a high-maintenance personal stylist who's the type of person that will point out that you're serving parfait with the wrong type of spoon. Yeah, he's that special. The two are so different that even they don't know how they managed to end up together.

I think that Yoshiaki is boring, but I'm drawn to the goofy, demanding and flamboyant archetype that Kasumi is. In manga, anyway. In real life I would want to punch him in the face. This isn't a comedy series, but it can be pretty cute at times -- especially when Kasumi decides to test Yoshiaki's love for him by going 1970s gay disco.

Sadly, Yoshiaki did not then snort cocaine off of his abs.

There's a non-con scene of the "no no oh yes yes yes!" variety that occurs when Yoshiaki and Kasumi are having a fight. Just warning you. It's pretty mild non-con by yaoi standards.

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This is a pretty popular series, but you can get authorized downloads by joining Nakama's yahoo group or their forums.

WILD FISH

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:02:55 GMT

Mangaka: Hiiro Reiichi
Genre: Yaoi, fantasy
Length: 1 volume (complete)
Scanlated: Fushichou

Ayase kai almost drowns in the ocean but is saved by a merman. He thought it is all a bizare dream, until the merman shows up again at his company, this time with legs. He claims to be a rich prince and Ayase's new boss but thats not all, his true goal is to make Ayase his mate! (Fushichou)

Hiiro Reiichi's art isn't that much to look at, but the stories usually make up for it. They have the same appeal as a ridiculously cheesy, yet plotty, piece of fanfiction. They're just the sort of escapist reading that I'm often in the mood for. That's why Hiiro Reiichi is one of my favorites despite the difficulty of keeping the "i"s in her name straight.

This story takes the cheese to the next level. The merman searching for his mate trope is quite funny to start with, but my favorite part is the merman's brother, who shows up looking for him. He's an anal retentive neatfreak who falls in love with a slob.

Be warned, this series is so cheesy that we have mermen going into heat.

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Fushichou's website lists this series as licensed, but as far as I can tell that's only in German. They've pulled the downloads nonetheless. Good luck finding a copy!

MUJINTOU LOVERS (LOVERS ON A DESERT ISLAND)

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 04:19:33 GMT

Mangaka Sakurai Shushushu
Genre: Yaoi, comedy
Length: 5 chapters (complete)
Scanlated by: Attractive Fascinante

The little rich boy, Hiroshigu, went on board a fishing boat out of curiosity as well as for the fun of it. However, he was swept off by waves and ends up on a deserted island with the bodyguard he hates most—Miyakawa! (AF)

I have a friend who likes to send me the weird, horrifying, and yet hilarious things that she finds on the internet. Once, she sent me Vibrator Company by Sakurai Shushushu. I would love to tell you what it was about, but I don't think that the words "vibrating trade secrets" and "splintery wooden dildo" properly convey the spirit of the story.

Vibrator Company has been licensed, but Mujintou Lovers hasn't. And More importantly, I actually like Mujintou Lovers better. The funniest thing about Vibrator Company is your initial reaction to the crazy things that happen in it--so it's not as funny on the reread. The humor in Mujintou Lovers is more about the characters.

Still not convinced? Then look at this. That's so sexy.

The first two chapters are about the desert island romance of Hiroshigu and Miyakawa, and the last three are unconnected oneshots.

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You can download this from the completed projects post on Attractive Fascinante's LJ comm.

(PS I just lost the game.)

KOU'UN NO RIHATSUSHI (GOOD LUCK BARBER)

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:49:25 GMT

Mangaka Nagato Saichi
Genre: Yaoi
Length: 1 chapter (ongoing)
Scanlated by: Dangerous Pleasure

The copy says that this is about a magical barber who brings happiness, but sadly, it's more mundane than that. It's still very cute, though.

Nachi runs a neighborhood barbershop. Tsukasa is a shy young man with bad 1990s grunge hair. They meet when Tsukasa visits Nachi's shop and Nachi gives him a makeover, revealing that Tsukasa is actually quite handsome and giving Tsukasa new confidence! Even after Tsukasa becomes a successful actor, he continues to visit Nachi.

There's a very brief attempted rape scene--you know, the kind that gives the seme the opportunity to charge to the rescue. There's also surprise bukkake! Yay?

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You can download this one through Dangerous Pleasure's website.

WILD ROCK

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:00:30 GMT

o/~ ...Rock me gently, rock me slowly... o/~

Mangaka: Takashima Kazusa
Genre: Yaoi, historical (?!)
Length: 1 volume (complete)
Scanlated by: Obsession

I'm Emba. I like hunting and long walks on the beach. Do you like my leopard-print loincloth? I killed the leopard myself.

I'm Yuuen. Why do I have to dress up like a woman and seduce Emba, again? Is it because Daddy's mad that I asked him how we have metal weapons in the stone age?

Takashima Kazusa is a big name in scanlated yaoi manga, and that's partly due to Wild Rock. His artwork is high quality and distinctive in style, but do you know what stands out even more than good art? A leopard print loincloth.

Otherwise, this is very typical yaoi. We have the strong, silent seme, and the sweet, hopeless uke for him to protect. This is worth the read, but as far as interesting characters and relationships go, there's not much. The draw is that it's pure cheese dusted with a healthy coating of crack.

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Wild Rock has been licensed by TokyoPop.

Update: Tengoku e Ikebaii

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 03:11:15 GMT

Chapter four has been released. You can download it here.

KEEP OUT

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 01:43:06 GMT

Mangaka: Kisaragi Hirotaka
Genre: Yaoi
Length: 2 chapters (ongoing)
Scanlated by: Dangerous Pleasure

My first introduction to Kisaragi Hirotaka's work was the occasionally baffling, but very very pretty Na mo Naki no Tobu Yoake: Innocent Bird, which stood out at the time for both its unusual artwork and its abundance of plot. That series has since been licensed by BLU; I'll get around to recommending it later. Free stuff first!

Keep Out is quite different. I was expecting a supernatural plotline, because that what this mangaka seems to like, but this is instead the common yaoi trope of the bodyguard and his charge. Here's the twist, though: The deadly bodyguard is the one that gets stuck with the role of uke. He doesn't like this, and throws lots of fits about it.

I recommend this one if porn power struggles don't bother you too much (this is a situation that in the real world would clearly be sexual harassment).

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This title can be download from Dangerous Pleasure's website.

... I think I need a "bodyguards" tag. Done.

LAST TARGET

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:53:06 GMT

Mangaka: Mamahara Ellie
Genre: Shounen-ai
Length: 4 chapters + extra
Scanlated by: Hochuuami

Mamahara's art style is distinctive, by which I mean no one sane would copy it. When I first started reading her work, there was an adjustment period before I could stop thinking what's wrong with his neck and pay attention to the story. The stories are the real draw, here; she has a certain knack for sweet romances. There's a reason she's so popular.

Since my favorite stories by her have been licensed and there will never be complete scanlations, I'm recommending Last Target as an introduction. After receiving a threat, a cute musical prodigy's family hires two hunky bodyguards to protect him. There is love--and huge shoulders, but I'm hoping you can get past that.

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You can download Last Target through Hochuuami's website.

Update: Tenki Yohou no Koibito

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:09:03 GMT

-- Chapter 6 of Tenki Yohou no Koibito has been released. Join our heroes as they suffer through a group trip to the hot springs.

FROM EROICA WITH LOVE

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:34:09 GMT

Mangaka: Aoike Yasuko
Genre: Shoujo
Length: See below
Scanlated by: The Pink Panzer

I feel like a twit, recommending this classic series that everyone has heard of, but I'd like to introduce you to this new scanlation group. They focus on classic shoujo, shounen-ai, and yaoi. Here's their summary:

What happens when a gay art thief and a conservative NATO officer cross paths? Disaster, of course. Dorian is an aristocrat, a thief and a hedonist; Klaus is a duty-driven espionage agent with no patience for fools. Follow them as they chase each other across the globe -- from Britain to Baghdad, from Alaska to Alexandria, from Moscow to Madrid. Spectacular locations and non-stop adventures await!

Yes, well, basically. What they fail to mention in that paragraph is that they're peddling pure crack.

The Pink Panzer says that they're scanlating Eroica because, although the series is licensed, the publisher is releasing volumes at a glacial pace. It will probably be years because the volumes they're scanlating are officially avaiable in English. They picked up with story sixteen, which is somewhere around volume twenty. They do provide links to the earlier anonymous scanlations for those who don't want to miss out on Dorian stealing the pope.

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You can download their scans and the earlier scans by joining their community and accessing their members-only downloads page.

Updates: Tengoku e Ikebaii

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 21:33:03 GMT

-- Chapters 2 and 3 of Tengoku e Ikebaii have been released since I last posted ~~back in freaking November~~. You can download chapter 2 from Dangerous Pleasure's download section; chapter 3 is available here.

-- Chapter 5 of Tenki Yohou no Koibito has been released. You can download it from Biblo Eros's website.

Updates: Aijin Incubus, Tenki Yohou no Koibito

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 17:49:25 GMT

--Aijin Incubus has been licensed, so chapter 4 will probably be the last scanlated chapter. You can still download it (for now) from Storm in Heaven's website.

--Chapter 4 of Tenki Yohou no Koibito has been released, and has bumped the series from shounen-ai into yaoi.

TENKI YOHOU NO KOIBITO (THE WEATHERMAN IS MY LOVER)

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 04:36:18 GMT

Mangaka: Madoka Machiko
Genre: Shounen-ai
Length:3 chapters (ongoing)
Scanlated by: Biblo Eros

The turbulent relationship between a straight-laced newscaster and his eccentric weatherman. (BE)

This is a cute story. You could call their relationship turbulent, but most of all it's just endearing and funny. I especially like that the straight-laced newscaster is a closet romantic, instead of being the "real men don't feel pansy emotions like love" seme stereotype that's in so much yaoi.

The artwork is also quite nice (if very shoujo), a notch above most of the new mangaka I've read lately. The anatomy in the cover is awful, though -- don't judge the inside by that, please.

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TENGOKU E IKEBAII

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 02:12:41 GMT

Mangaka: Yamimaru Enjin
Genre: Yaoi, supernatural, sci-fi
Length: 1 chapter (ongoing)
Scanlated by: Dangerous Pleasure

It's too early to tell if I'll like this story, although I've liked other work by Yamimaru Enjin. But I love the premise:

Keigo and Kifumi die while trying to rescue a puppy. When they wake up, a strange alien girl tells them that they can return to life if they harvest biofuel for her experiments. Having no other choice but staying dead, they agree--and only then find out the details. Kifumi ends up a vampire, and Keigo ends up a werewolf. The biofuel they have to collect turns out to be blood and semen, respectively.

Isn't that the best porn set-up ever? It's like she couldn't decide what sort of cliched porn plot to use, and ended up mixing several together in a big pot of wrong.

I can't wait for more chapters.

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This title is available for direct download through Dangerous Pleasure's website.

IKOKU IKOROI ROMANTAN

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 01:01:00 GMT

Mangaka: Yamane Ayano
Genre: Yaoi
Length: 1 volume (complete)
Scanlated by: Nakama

Yamane Ayano is such a fixture of the BL manga scene that it would be neglectful of me not to mention her work, even though she's not one of my favorites. She has a lot of fans, and I can see why: Her artwork is consistently high-quality, and she's not afraid of plot. She also has a sense of humor.

Don't get me wrong; I do like her work. It's just that if I was going to be marooned on a desert island with only ten BL manga to keep me company, I probably wouldn't pick any of her stories. So she's good, but not super-good, and this entire rec is turning into an incredibly backhanded compliment and I really didn't mean that so—

The main issue I have with Yamane's artwork is that, well, everyone has the same face. If you took away their clothes and their hair you wouldn't be able to tell the characters apart. This is the same problem with another popular BL mangaka, Masara Minase (who is actually worse). Otherwise the artwork is excellent, though Ikoku is rougher than, for example, Crimson Spell, since she's had a lot of practice in between the two.

sudaki tells me that there's an audio version of Ikoku Ikoroi Romantan, and that it's hilarious in that horrible "I'm not sure I can keep listening to this" way. I can see that.

Ikoku Ikoroi Romantan is pure yaoi crack. The main character, the volatile young scion of a mafia family, swept off his feet by an amorous Italian with a bad case of yellow fever. The yaoi cliches are everywhere, but the story ends up being rather funny, worth reading just so you can look back and say, "wow. I can't believe I enjoyed that."

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You can download this title through Nakama's yahoogroup, naka-manga.

THE SECRET AGREEMENT

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 01:39:23 GMT

Mangaka: Maruya Kae
Genre: Yaoi, historical, supernatural
Length: 4 chapters (complete)
Scanlated: Nakama

I have no idea what's going on in this story, but nevermind that. Maruya Kae's artwork is well-suited to a historical setting (in this case, 1920s Japan*) . Nice costumes and lots of shiny, shiny hair. I think my confusion about the story is half poor writing and half being distracted by the pretty pictures.

Now if I could just figure out wtf the ending means. If you know please tell me. And then explain what tragically beautiful's mother is doing with that blonde woman.

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* I did indeed get "1920s Japan" from a summary somewhere, but later, tragically beautiful's mother refers to THE WAR. I have no idea if this means: a) the story is actually set after WWII and the summary I read is wrong; b) the main story does take place in the 20's but the conversation takes place later; c) they're referring to some other war. I'm not sure I can judge by their clothes, considering the other anachronisms like the trendy hair.

SPELL

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 17:25:23 GMT

Mangaka: Fujiyama Hyouta
Genre: Yaoi
Length: 1 volume (complete)
Published by: Digital Manga Publishing

Natori is begged to go to a party by his friend, and reluctantly agrees. There he meets Kisugi; they hit it off immediately, and become good friends even though Natori is surprised to find out that Kisugi likes guys. But Natori's feelings towards Kisugi grow complicated, as he becomes jealous of Kisugi's boyfriend...

Fujiyama Hyouta has just been added to my list of mangaka whose work I try to follow. I just got around to reading Spell, which has been sitting on my drive for forever, and I really like it.

The artwork didn't immediately catch my eye, and it's a little rough around the edges, but once I gave it a chance I ended up liking it. Both of the characters are adults--I should totally make a tag for that, because in BL manga that's practically a kink. Sexuality is addressed rather than conveniently glossed over. I like the single female suporting character.

The tone, though, is what caught my attention. It reminds me a bit of what I like about Rules, even though they're pretty different: These are normal people, even if their relationship is idealized to fit into the yaoi genre.

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ANTIQUE BAKERY

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 02:09:34 GMT

Mangaka: Yoshinaga Fumi
Genre: Shounen-ai, Comedy
Length: 4 volumes (complete)
Published by: Digital Manga Publishing

Ono has come a long way since the agonizing day in high school when he confessed his love to handsome Tachibana. Now, some 14 years later Ono, a world-class pastry chef and gay playboy has it all. No man can resist Ono's charms (or his cooking skills!) but he has just found a new position under a man named Tachibana. Can this be the only man who resisted his charms, and if so, will the man who once snubbed the "magically gay" Ono get his just desserts? And how in the heck did a former middleweight boxing champion wind up as Ono's cake boy? (DMP)

I don't like that summary. It completely misses the point, but then, it's ad-copy, and obviously attempting to appeal to the shounen-ai and yaoi audience. But this isn't a romance at all. Don't let them fool you!

Antique Bakery is about the lives of the employees of a pastry shop and its customers. The employees form an odd, dysfunctional little family, although they would probably hate to be described that way. The customers, as well--when the story peeks into their lives, they're not just foils for the main characters, but developed characters themselves.

The main failing of this series is that there's no coherent narrative. It's more like a series of short stories about these characters than it is a complete story in itself. This makes the ending unsatisfying, because it's not really an ending at all... it just sort of stops. I didn't even know that it was complete until I couldn't find volume 5 anywhere!

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OKI NI MESU MAMA (AS YOU LIKE IT)

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 20:57:05 GMT

Mangaka: Ajimine Sakufu
Genre: Yaoi, historical, comedy
Length: One volume (complete)
Translated by: Hochuuami

Prince Ashide's parents, fed up with his refusal to pick a bride and get married, decide to hold a race: the first young lady to the finish line gets the prize! Except... the winner turns out to be a man, and Prince Ashide thinks he use this to his own benefit.

I'm fond of snots. And Prince Ashide is definitely one of those. Spoiled, thoughtless, and ... very very pretty. "Pretty" is how I would characterize Ajimine Sakufu's art, as well. Ignore the color art; it doesn't resemble the characters inside.

The plot is rather bare-bones, but the mangaka gives herself enough time to add little comedic touches that make the characters and story more endearing than they would be otherwise. It's those little touches that make this one one of my favorites.

FYI, there's a brief non-con scene later on, but it's mild by yaoi standards. It's really only an excuse for ~~Princess~~ Prince Ashide to be rescued by his beau. It would be pretty unsatisfying for anyone with a non-con kink. Not that I would know. Uh-uh.

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This title is available for direct download through Hochuuami's website.

TSUKI TO MIZU NO YORU (A NIGHT OF MOON AND WATER)

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 04:22:40 GMT

Mangaka: Kajiwara Niki
Genre: Shounen-ai, supernatural
Length: Two volumes (complete)
Translated by: Storm in Heaven

Meet the volatile Nakichi and peaceful Seita, the two water sprites that live in a river in the remote countryside. A chanced encounter with the human child Yoshiharu reawakens the half forgotten ties between water sprites and humans, and an amazing friendship is forged. Yet can this relationship survive the test when humans once again threaten the lives of these mythical beings? (SiH)

It took me a while to give this series a chance, because I wanted porn, and it isn't. But once I finally did read it, it immediately became one of my favorites. There's such a quiet tenderness and poignancy about the entire story that it's deeply satisfying to read.

The relationship between the two water sprites is entirely subtext, but it doesn't need to be stated outright. It's obvious from their behavior that they care very deeply for each other.

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This title is available for direct download through Storm in Heaven's website.